Living Day to Day
by ChristyK
Summary: The brothers must deal with the outcome of an emergency room visit
1. Chapter 1

And here's another story I came up with….. This one doesn't have much supernatural stuff in it and is mostly just a little brotherly story….. I'm not sure if anyone will like it. When I started it I was thinking of going in a certain direction with it but then after writing a few pages switched it completely around and went in a totally different direction. Hope some of you like it.

**Living Day to Day**

Dean grabbed his ringing cell phone.

"What?" He shouted into it. He wasn't in a good mood; he had been stuck in traffic for over two hours after going out to pick up a pizza. It was Sam's turn to go but he had fallen asleep on the chair and when Dean tried to wake him up he had sleepily pushed him away. Instead of getting into an argument Dean had grabbed the keys and decided to pick up the pizza himself, thinking he would have plenty of time to get back in time to watch the basketball game. But now here he was stuck in traffic while his brother was relaxing back at the motel probably watching the game. This was the last time he was going to take Sam's turn, next time he'd throw him off the chair and make him go.

"Dean?"

"No, it's Brad Pitt…. Who the hell do you think it is?" Dean said sarcastically. When Sam didn't answer Dean continued. "What do you want? And don't even tell me you want me to pick up something else. I've been stuck in this damn traffic for the last two hours and I'm so kicking your ass when I get home…..Damn pizza's cold and the beer's warm…."

"Dean…I…."

"Damn it Sam speak up! I can't hear you!" Dean was pissed off and not being able to hear Sam was getting him even angrier. "Sam what the hell do you want? Spit it out!"

"Dean I….I'm not feeling too good…."

Dean's big brother protective mode immediately kicked in.

"What do you mean you're not feeling good? What's up?"

"My head….my head hurts…really, really bad…."

"You're not having visions again are you?" Dean knew his brother used to have painful visions and always had a bad headache during and right after one.

"No…this is different…."

"What do you mean different?" When Sam didn't answer Dean began to really get worried. "Sam! Sammy talk to me damn it!"

"Oh God Dean it hurts….it hurts…."

Dean then heard a low moan and the sound of the phone hitting the floor."

"Sam! Sammy! Damn it Sammy answer me!"

Dean tossed the phone on the passenger's seat and turned the wheel hard to the left. He drove on the small strip of land between the lanes and flew down the highway ignoring the irritated horns of the drivers that he passed. Twelve minutes later he pulled up at the motel and jumped out of the car and ran into the room.

"Sam! Sammy!" He shouted when he didn't immediately see his brother. Finally he found Sam lying between the bed and the wall, his face covered in blood which trickled from his nose and ears. "Sammy!" He shouted as he fell to his knees next to his brother and pulled him into his arms. He was scared to death. He used to be able to talk Sam through his painful headaches but he knew this one was different, Sam had never passed out or bled this bad before.

"Sammy?...Sammy come on buddy talk to me…" Dean patted his brother's face. "Sammy don't you do this to me…" He said as he gently shook Sam trying to get him to wake up. Sam only moaned softly but didn't open his eyes.

As much as he hated hospitals he knew he didn't have a choice. He picked Sam up and with tears in his eyes carried him out to the car and put him in the back seat. He then sped to the hospital all the while talking soothingly to his brother hoping he'd answer him.

**Hospital**

Dean paced the waiting room covered in Sam's blood as he waited for word on his condition. They had been running tests on Sam for hours and he still hadn't heard anything. He was just about ready to storm into the examining room when a nurse came into the waiting room.

"How's my brother?" Dean asked walking over to her.

"He's awake and we moved him to a room. I'll take you to see him."

"How is he?" Dean asked as he followed her.

"The doctor will be in to see you and he'll explain everything."

Dean looked over at the nurse trying to read her, but she was good at hiding her thoughts.

He walked into the room expecting to see Sam lying down but instead he was sitting up in bed watching TV as if nothing was wrong.

"Hey." Dean said as he walked over.

"Hey." Sam gave him a small smile. "The game's still on. They're in overtime." He nodded toward the set.

"Yeah I see….You had me worried there for awhile…How're you doing?"

"I feel fine."

"What did the doctor say?"

"I didn't talk to him yet."

"Do they tell you when you can get out of here?"

With their fake medical cards they always tried to get out of the hospital as soon as possible.

"I think they want me to stay a day or two but I feel fine …See if you can get the release papers so I can sign myself out."

"I'll talk to the doctor and see what I can do."

**A few minutes later**

The nurse came back into the room and told Dean that the doctor wanted to see him. Dean saw the questioning look Sam gave him and shrugged his shoulders; he had no idea why the doctor wanted to see him alone.

He left the room and followed the nurse into the small conference room.

"Doc, what is it?" Dean asked when he saw the expression on the doctor's face.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Dean swallowed hard and felt the room start to spin.

"What?" He could barely utter the word.

"Your brother has a brain tumor….The tests show it's inoperable…. I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do for him….Your brother's condition is terminal"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

I appreciate the reviews, thanks. Glad you like it so far.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter two

"What?" Dean said looking at the doctor in disbelief. He could feel his heart pounding as it tried to break through his chest. Sam was going to die?

"I'm sorry."

Dean stood there for a few seconds in total shock. He felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room and that he couldn't breathe.

"There has to be something you can do…. some kind of operation." He said as he ran his hand through his hair trying to hold it together.

"It's inoperable…I'm sorry. There are lesions throughout his brain and attempting to remove them could kill him or leave him in a coma. I'm afraid if he goes into a coma there would be no hope for recovery."

Dean walked over to the window and looked out as his eyes welled up with tears.

"This can't be happening….. He was fine just a few days ago."

"He didn't have any sever headaches? Any nosebleeds?"

"Not that he told me about. He seemed fine." Dean turned back to the doctor and blinked back the tears. "How long does he have?" He asked.

"Oh…..I'd say three months, maybe longer, maybe not….. With this kind of tumor it's hard to say." The doctor walked over and put his hand on Dean's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know it's hard….He's a young man with his whole future in front of him and it's hard to believe in a blink of an eye it's been taken away from him…..Do you want me to tell him or do you want to?"

"I'll tell him…but not right away." Dean's face was etched with pain as he spoke.. "I want him to enjoy the time he has left."

"I understand but you really do need to tell him soon. He might have some final arrangements he wants to make and…."

"I'll tell him when the time's right." Dean interrupted the doctor. _When would the time be right to tell his baby brother that he was dying Dean wondered?_

"I know you don't want to hear this but …your brother will slowly get worse, he's going to eventually realize something's wrong. I can give you pills which will help with the headaches but sooner or later his headaches are going to become excruciating and the medication won't help. If that happens you need to bring him in here and we can sedate him till it's over."

_Till it's over?_ Dean couldn't believe he was actually listening to someone tell him his brother was going to die. Stress began to build up inside of him and released the tension by slamming his fist into the mirror in the room. He winced in pain as he shook his hand and looked down at his bloody bruised knuckles.

"Put it on our bill." Dean said looking up at the doctor's shocked face. Right now all he wanted to do was to be with his brother, nothing else mattered. "I'm taking my brother out of here today."

"You can do what you like but I don't recommend it. There are still some more tests we'd like to run."

"You said there's nothing you can do…. I'm not letting him stay here and have you torture him with a bunch of tests."

"The decision is yours but I'd advise you to tell him as soon as possible …. I'll get a prescription ready for you; you can pick it up when you sign him out." The doctor handed Dean a clean white towel from the supply closet for his hand. "You should get that looked at."

Dean nodded as he wrapped the towel around his hand as he left the room.

**Sam's room**

Sam smiled when Dean entered his room.

"So can I get out of here?"

"Yeah, he said you could leave."

"Thank God." Sam said climbing out of bed and grabbing his clothes. He had always hated hospitals and was glad to be able to leave. "So what did he say caused it?"

Dean hesitated a few seconds trying to come up with something.

"Oh…um….. just a bad sinus infection."

"Oh…" Sam looked at Dean and could tell something was bothering him. "What's wrong with you?"

"Well for one thing you made me miss the game…" Dean said now taking the anger he felt at Sam's illness out on the least person that deserved it.

"Sorry." Sam said as he buttoned his shirt.

Dean immediately felt guilty when he saw the flash of hurt in Sam's eyes. He had just made Sam think he cared more about a dumb game then him. It was then Sam saw Dean's towel wrapped hand.

"What happened to you?" Sam asked as he reached toward Dean's hand.

Dean quickly pulled his hand away but the towel slipped off revealing his bloody bruised knuckles.

"It's nothing." Dean grabbed the towel and quickly covered his hand with it.

"Nothing? It looks like you slammed your hand into a wall." Sam looked at Dean not understanding why he wouldn't tell him how he had gotten hurt. "What happened Dean? How'd you get hurt? Your hand was fine just a few minutes ago. … You didn't get in a fight did you?"

"Sam….I tripped and fell on it, okay?"

"No it's not okay, I can tell you're not telling me the truth, now what the hell happened to your hand?"

"I said it was nothing Sam… now let's get you signed out and get the hell out of here." Dean walked out of the room leaving Sam behind. He stood at the doorway and watched Dean walk down to the nurse's station. He knew his brother was keeping something from him and sooner or later he'd find out what it was.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter three

**Motel**

Dean stopped and picked up Sam's prescription then headed for the motel. As soon as they walked into the room he took two of the pills out of the bottle and handed them to Sam.

"Here, the doctor said you should take two every four hours."

"I don't need those, I feel fine."

"Just take them Sam."

"Dean I don't need them, I feel fine. It was just a sinus infection and whatever they gave me at the hospital cleared it up."

"Take them Sam or I'm going to shove them down your damn throat."

"What the hell's gotten into you Dean?" Sam looked at his brother not understanding why he was so angry, and then it came to him. "You're still pissed that I made you miss the game aren't you?"

"Yeah Sam I'm pissed about the game….I'm pissed about a lot of things." Dean saw the hurt look on Sam's face and it broke his heart that he couldn't tell his brother why he was acting the way he was. But there was no way he was going to tell him that he only had a few months to live. He was going to spare him that until he had no choice.

"Dean I'm sorry that I didn't get up and go for the pizza, and I'm sorry you missed the game but…."

"Don't worry about it." Dean interrupted him as he started to turn away.

"I can tell you're pissed about something and …." Sam suddenly gasped in pain and quickly sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sam…" Dean hurried to his brother's side. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Sam gave a little smile. "Just got a little dizzy….guess I better take those pills after all."

Dean went into the bathroom and filled a cup with water then came out and was about to hand it to his brother when he saw blood begin to trickle out of Sam's nose.

"You're bleeding again Sam." Dean said, his face etched with worry.

"Oh." Sam reached over and took a tissue out of the box and dabbed at his bloody nose. He then reached up and took the water and pills from Dean. He popped the pills in his mouth and took a swallow of the water. He then looked up at Dean and gave him a small smile. "I guess it will take awhile to clear it up." Sam winced in pain and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Boy, I never knew a sinus infection could hurt this much." He said as he started to pull his legs up onto the bed. "I think maybe I'll lie down for awhile till it eases up a bit."

Dean reached over and helped Sam pull his legs up.

"You sure okay Sammy?"

Sam looked up at Dean wondering why his brother was so concerned.

"I just have a sinus infection Dean, I'm not dying." Sam regretted his choice of words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Maybe he wasn't dying but his brother would be in a few months because of the deal he made to bring him back. He still swore that somehow, someway he was going to get his brother out of it.

Sam's words hit Dean like a ton of bricks. _Yeah Sam…yeah you are dying._ He thought as he quickly turned away and walked over to the window not wanting Sam to see the tears in his eyes. He had given up his soul to save his baby brother and now he was going to die anyway. He had watched his brother die once, and now he'd have to do it again. How could he? How could he hold his brother in his arms and watch him die again?

"I'm going out for a second." Dean said grabbing his jacket. He felt like he just needed some fresh air to clear his mind.

"I'm sorry Dean…I didn't mean to say that….I wasn't thinking."

"No problem." Dean said as he headed toward the door.

"Where ya going?"

"To get some beer."

"We have beer."

"It's warm."

"Hold on a second, I'll go with you." Sam started to get out of bed.

"No!...No I'll get it, you stay here and get some rest." Dean left quickly before Sam could protest. He needed to be alone.

**Later**

Dean walked for about an hour trying to clear his mind and think. Sooner or later he'd have to tell Sam that he was dying…but how? He figured he wouldn't tell him till he absolutely had to. He'd let his brother have as much time as he could blissfully unaware that in a few months he'd be dead. He wiped angrily at the tears that ran down his face. At least he could give his brother that much.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter four

**Later back at the motel**

Sam sat on a chair his laptop open on a table in front of him.

"Hey." He gave Dean a smile when he walked in, glad to see him back. He knew something was bothering his brother and was afraid it was something he had done.

"Hey." Dean tossed his jacket on a chair then walked over and looked down at the computer screen. "I thought I told you to get some rest….What are you doing?"

"Looking for another job."

"Sam we don't have to always be hunting something. Why don't we take some time off…enjoy ourselves for awhile."

"Maybe we don't, but I found something interesting."

"What?"

"Remember that necklace Dad found in New Mexico?"

"The one that had that dragon on it?"

"Yeah."

"What about it?"

Sam nodded toward the computer screen. On the screen was a picture of the Elkin's family who sat in their living room, three of the members holding pictures of deceased family members in front of them. The woman at the center of the picture had a necklace on with a dragon shaped pendant.

"Read the story." Sam tilted the screen so Dean could get a better look at it.

Dean read the short article then looked at Sam.

"Three members of the family died in fires, fires that no one can explain." Dean glanced at Sam.

"They're saying it could be a rare case of human combustion."

"Just like what happened in New Mexico."

"Yep…The only way it's going to end is if we get that necklace and bury it in a cemetery…..I say we pack up and head on out there." Sam started to stand up but Dean put his hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down.

"Whoa Sam slow down a little….We just got back from a hunt and you're not feeling well. I say we take a little time off for ourselves for once."

"Dean people could die…people we might be able to save."

"Well then let them." Dean turned away.

"You don't mean that." Sam looked up at Dean; he couldn't believe his brother didn't care if the people lived or died.

"Sam I'm tired, you're tired…"

"Dean…"

"I'm not going to argue with you about it. We're not going….end of story." Dean walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" Sam said as he walked over and stood at the bathroom door. "You keep telling me you want to get out there and kill as many evil things as you can before…. well you know before…."

"Before I die…you can say it Sam."

"You're not going to die Dean…I'm getting you out of this deal."

Dean kept his face turned from his brother as his eyes filled up with tears. Maybe he didn't want to get out of the deal…Maybe now that Sam was going to die he didn't want to live. Dean pulled the door shut cutting off the conversation.

"I told you Sam we're not going….that's the end of it." He said to the closed door.

Sam shook his head and walked away. What the hell was wrong with Dean? He was the first one to jump at a chance to go on a hunt. It would do him good; get his mind off of his deal. His brother was changing right before his eyes…. and it was all because of him, because of the damn deal.

"You know Dean you shouldn't have interfered….you shouldn't have made that deal. I should be dead….and you should be living your life without this fucking deal hanging over your head."

"I did what I had to do Sam….and I'd do it again, so just shut up…"

Sam's eyes filled with tears at the thought of losing his brother. How could he live without his big brother beside him? Time was slowly running out for Dean and he wasn't any closer to finding a way out of the deal then he was months ago. He started walking back toward the door when he saw a paper on the floor which had fallen out of Dean's jacket. He picked it up and looked at it. It was his prescription with a note from the doctor attached to it. At the bottom of the paper was the word terminal.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm glad you like the story so far and I hope you're not disappointed with the rest of it.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter five

Sam pushed open the bathroom door and walked in. Dean quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked as he turned toward his brother.

"Were you going to wait till I was on my death bed to tell me about this?" Sam asked his eyes glistening with tears as he held up the paper.

"Sam…."

"I don't want to hear any damn excuse! You should have told me! Don't you think I deserve to know?"

"I was going to tell you…."

"When?" Sam cut him off. When Dean didn't answer Sam shouted at him "When Dean ….when were you going to tell me?"

"I wanted you to have some time …. some time to enjoy yourself. You didn't have to know till…."

"Till when? Till I was ready to die?"

"Sam give me a break here…." Dean said his own eyes filling with tears.

"Why didn't you tell me Dean?"

"I…I didn't want you to have to go through what I am…..sitting around waiting to die."

Sam's face was etched with pain as he listened to his brother. He felt a stab of guilt….it wasn't Dean's fault, all he was trying to do was protect him from the truth. … But if he was going to die how could he protect his brother?

"How am I going to save you now?" Sam choked on the words. "How am I going to end this damn deal you have?"

Dean looked at Sam his lower lip trembling as he fought to control his emotions. It was so like Sam to be worried about him instead of himself.

"Sam I'm sorry…."

Sam swallowed hard when he saw the pain in his brother's eyes. He knew if he was in Dean's position he probably would have done the same thing. He swallowed his anger.

"How long do I have?"

Dean looked down sadly and shook his head not wanting to answer.

"Tell me Dean…I need to know."

"Three months….maybe less."

Sam looked away for a second then looked back at his brother.

"So I guess we're both screwed huh?"

Dean gave a little laugh.

"Yeah it looks like it."

"Dean….when I died before…you should have left me dead. You shouldn't have made a deal with that demon. Now you're going to go to Hell for nothing." Sam wiped angrily at his tears. "I wanted so bad to get you out of this damn deal…. but now…but now I'm not going to have the time."

"I'm sorry Sam…I didn't want you to know….I wanted you to enjoy the time you had left."

"I know….I know you did….Look I'm sorry I jumped on you. I just…" Sam suddenly winced in pain and fell to his knees.

"Sam!" Dean knelt by his brother's side.

"Oh God!" Sam put his hands up to his temples, the pain was agonizing. Blood began running out of his nose.

"Sammy!" Dean ran out of the room and got Sam's pills. He poured two into his hand then handed Sam a glass of water. "Here Sammy take these." He said as he handed them to his brother.

Sam swallowed the pills then leaned back against the cool bathroom tile. He kept his eyes squeezed shut waiting for the pain to subside.

Dean sat down next to him on the floor gently squeezing Sam's shoulder trying to somehow ease the pain his brother was in. Why were their lives cursed he wondered? Why did the demon kill their Mom and Jessica? Why did their Dad have to die? Why was Sammy going to be taken away from him again? Why? Tears welled up in his eyes as he pulled his brother into his arms and held him close.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter six

After about ten minutes Dean could feel Sam relax in his arms and knew that the pain had finally passed. He released his brother and Sam once more leaned back against the wall. Dean knew he shouldn't be embarrassed by his show of emotion but he was. Like most brothers they both tried to hide their feelings from each other.

"Feeling better?" Dean asked as he took a wet washrag and wiped the blood off of Sam's face.

"Yeah…thanks." Sam looked over at Dean and gave a small smile. "Guess I better let you finish your shower huh?"

"Yeah." Dean returned Sam's smile as he stood up then reached down and helped Sam up. "And next time knock." He said as Sam walked out of the room.

**Later that night**

Sam waited till his brother fell asleep then slipped a note under Dean's cell phone that was lying on a table between the beds. He knew Dean would be pissed but he had to leave, he had to try to help the family that had the dragon necklace. If he wouldn't be around to save his brother, then at least he might be able to help someone else before he died. He picked up his bag that he had packed while Dean was showering and quietly snuck out of the motel room. He patted Dean's car on the fender as he walked by.

"You take good care of my brother." He told it as he blinked back tears.

He then headed out to the highway and stuck out his thumb. It was about thirty miles to the town where the family lived and Sam figured when he got there he'd hold up somewhere till evening, then break into the house while they were sleeping and get the necklace. It would be dangerous but he knew he had to try. He would first find the local cemetery and dig a small hole, and then all he had to do was sprinkle the necklace with Holy Water and bury it. He knew it had to be done quickly. If he had the necklace on him for more then an hour he would be in danger of the necklace's curse being transferred to him. He was lucky, only three cars passed him before one stopped. He opened the door and leaned in.

"You heading toward Morristown?" He asked the driver.

"Right through the center of it." The driver said smiling. "I could use the company. I was starting to drift off and I need someone to talk to to keep me awake. Hop in."

Sam threw his bag in the back seat and climbed in the passenger's seat.

**Early the next morning**

Dean yawned as he sat up in bed and stretched. For a few brief hours he had forgotten about his brother's illness while he slept but now it all came rushing back to him. He looked over at Sam's unmade bed. When he saw he wasn't there he got out of bed and checked the bathroom….it was empty. He then opened the front door.

"Sam…." He called out as he looked up and down the porch. "Sam you out here?"

When his brother didn't answer he went back into his room, it was then he saw the note.

_Dean,_

_I needed some time to myself. Don't worry I'll be fine …I have my pills. Just stay here and take it easy for a few days till I come back. Please don't try to find me. I just need a little time alone._

_Sam_

"Damn it Sammy." Dean wrinkled the note up and tossed it into the trash can. He immediately picked up his cell phone and punched in Sam's number. He waited till the voice mail came on. "Damn it Sam where are you? What the hell do you think you're doing? You're sick …you don't need to be taking off somewhere. Call me as soon as you get this." Dean grabbed his car keys and headed out to the car. He jumped in then sat there wondering which direction he should head in. He slammed his hand down on the steering wheel in frustration. _Where the hell did you go Sammy?_ Finally he pulled out onto the highway and decided all he could do was drive up and down the highway in hopes that he'd spot his brother. He knew it wasn't likely but it was all he could think of to do. If he sat around waiting till he heard from him he'd go insane.

"Damn it Sam I am so going to kick your butt when I find you." He mumbled to himself as he sped down the highway.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter seven

Sam found the town's cemetery then checked into the motel that was closest to it. Now all he had to do was get the necklace and bury it. He took out his cell phone and turned it on. He knew Dean would be worried and wanted to reassure him that he was alright.

"Sam! Where the hell are you?" Dean shouted into the phone as soon as he picked it up. He was both relieved to hear from Sam but was also angry that he had taken off.

"That's not important. I just wanted to check in with you so you don't get pissed off."

"Why did you turn your phone off?"

"I didn't want you tracking my signal."

"Sam just tell me where you are and I'll pick you up. You shouldn't be running around…not in your condition."

"Not yet Dean. There's something I want to do first."

"What ever it is we can do it together…just tell me where you are."

"Sorry Dean…I need to do this on my own. Just take it easy and I'll see you in a few days." Sam shut off the phone.

"Sam? Sammy! Damn!" Dean hung up and tossed the phone onto the passenger's seat. He was worried; he knew his brother shouldn't be alone, not in the condition he was in. But trying to find Sam would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

**The next day – late afternoon**

Dean sat in a diner drinking a cup of coffee, his food in front of him growing cold as he looked out the window. _Where the hell are you Sam? _He kept wondering over and over as he watched cars drive by. Sam had finally called about an hour earlier and reassured him that he was fine and was taking his pills. Relieved that Sam was okay he had decided to go and get something to eat, but his worry for his brother made the food unappetizing. He was just about ready to leave when he noticed that the doctor who had treated Sam at the hospital had walked into the diner and appeared to be looking for someone. When the doctor spotted Dean he hurried over to him.

"Mr. Walters…." He addressed Dean by the name he had given him at the hospital.

"Doctor…" Dean nodded a greeting.

"Thank God I found you." The doctor sat down across from Dean.

"What's wrong?"

"Where's your brother?"

"I'm not sure right now …why?"

"There's been a mixup at the hospital."

"Mixup?"

"A disgruntled employee who worked in the lab switched some lab reports." The doctor leaned down and looked into Dean's eyes. "Your brother doesn't have a brain tumor."

Dean sat back in his chair; he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Oh thank God." He took a deep breath. It felt like it was the first time he had breathed since he had heard Sam's diagnosis. "What's wrong with him then?"

"He appears to have a blood clot on his brain which needs to be treated….But we should be able to dissolve or remove it with no problem and he should be fine….Your brother isn't terminal Mr. Walters…."

"That's great news." Dean said smiling.

"Yes it is but…." The doctor hesitated.

"But what?" The smiled dropped from Dean's face. Why must there always be a 'but' he thought?

"But the pills that were prescribed to him … they could kill him."

"What?" Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. "First you tell me my brother should be fine, and now you tell me the pills he's taking can kill him?"

"The pills he was given were to take away the pain from the brain tumor but they thin the blood and could cause the blood clot to break loose and become lodged in his heart or lung….If that happens your brother could die. First and foremost you must find your brother and stop him from taking any more pills. Then try not to get him agitated, try to keep him calm, and get him to the hospital as soon as possible."

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter eight

Dean immediately pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed Sam's number then swore when his voice mail came on.

"Sam call me immediately and don't take anymore pills. You're not dying Sam, it was all a mistake….but the pills …the pills can kill you. Call me and I'll explain everything."

Now all Dean could do was sit and pray that his brother called him back.

**Evening**

It was a dreary moonless night and the family with the necklace had gone out for the evening. Sam had watched them through binoculars and it appeared that the woman wasn't wearing the necklace. He knew now would be the perfect opportunity to steal it. He took out his phone and was about to turn it on and punch in his brother's number but hesitated. Why get Dean involved? His brother didn't have much time left and why take the chance of him getting hurt. Soon he wouldn't be around to watch his brother's back and he'd be damned if he was going to let something happen to Dean on his watch. No, he'd do this himself, there shouldn't be any problem. After he buried the necklace he'd call Dean and have him pick him up. He had a slight headache and popped two more pills into his mouth before heading toward the house.

Dean couldn't stand sitting around waiting for Sam to call so he drove up and down the highway stopping at every motel and tricking each of the motel clerks into showing him the registration book. He knew Sam would be using one of their many fake credit cards and that it would be easy to spot one of the names that they usually used He couldn't wait to tell his brother about the switched records. He kept trying to call him but the phone was still turned off and there was no answer.

"Damn it Sammy turn your phone on." He said each time the voice mail came on. He knew his brother wasn't dying from the tumor but the pills could kill him and he had to warn him. "Sam it's me again." He said after he heard the beep. "Where the hell are you? Call me as soon as you get this and don't take anymore pills."

**The Elkin's home**

Sam had no trouble picking the lock and entering the home and was glad he wasn't greeted by the family dog. He crept up the steps and into the master bedroom. He immediately went to the large jewelry case sitting on the dresser. There, lying right on top was the dragon necklace. He picked it up and looked at it. It was actually a rather ugly looking thing and he wondered where the family had found it, probably an antique store or a yard sale. He thought back to when they had encountered a necklace like this before. Everyone in that family, except for a young girl, were all killed in fires within a few months of each other. But his dad knew about the necklace's legend and had broken into the house and stolen it. He and his brother had watched as their dad sprinkled it with Holy Water and buried it in a cemetery. The curse was lifted and the young girl had been saved. Sam could feel a mild heat as he held the necklace, barely detectable but it was there. He put the necklace in his jacket pocket then went back downstairs. He peeked outside to make sure the family hadn't returned for some reason, then satisfied that they hadn't, hurried outside and jumped in the car he had rented the day before. Now all he had to do was head out to the cemetery that was near his motel and bury the damn thing.

**Later**

Sam had just about reached his motel when he felt a sharp pain shoot through his head. He momentarily lost control of his car and almost slammed into a tree. Something wet was running down his neck and he reached up and touched the blood that was trickling out of his ear.

"Oh man…." He moaned softly as another sharp pain shot through his head. He knew he'd never make it to the cemetery, so instead he pulled into the motel then stumbled into the room and collapsed on the bed. He pulled out his cell phone and turned it on. He then called his brother.

Dean's phone rang and he looked at the caller ID and saw Sam's name.

"Sam! Sam where are you? Did you get my messages?"

"Dean…." Sam's voice was weak and hard to hear.

"Sam what's wrong? What's going on? Where are you?"

The next thing Dean heard was Sam's phone falling off the bed and hitting the floor.

"Sam? Sammy!"

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter nine

Dean could hear his brother moaning in the background and it was obvious he was in a lot of pain.

"Sam! Damn it Sammy pick up the phone and tell me where you are?"

The moaning finally stopped and he was met by dead silence which frightened him even more.

"Sam? Sammy!"

There was no answer. Dean spun the car around and headed back to his motel. Once there he got on the computer and began tracking his brother's cell signal.

"Morristown?" Dean said when he saw which town the signal was coming from. He wondered why the town sounded familiar and then it came to him. "The necklace..." He said softly. The Elkin's family lived in Morristown. Why the hell hadn't he thought of that before? Sam had wanted to go there and see if they could help the family and when he refused he must have gone on his own. "Damn it Sammy why didn't you wait for me?"

He printed out directions then ran outside and jumped in his car. As he drove he kept shouting into the still open phone line trying to reach his brother.

"Sammy!" He shouted into the phone. "Damn it Sammy pick up!" Maybe Sam couldn't pick up the phone but maybe he could still hear him. "Sammy if you can hear me…I'm on my way…And don't take anymore pills."

**The Motel**

Sam woke up with his head lying in a pool of blood and his body feeling like he was sitting next to a hot furnace. He had rolled off the bed and was now lying on the floor between the bed and the wall. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the necklace, he knew it was the cause of his fever. Well at least he had gotten it away from the family before any more of them had died. But now he was too weak to take it to the cemetery and bury it. His head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it so he popped two more pills in his mouth hoping it would ease the pain a little. Maybe if this damn headache would go away he'd be able to make it to the car and drive the few blocks to the cemetery. He could see his phone lying under the bed and tried to reach for it, but it was just beyond reach. He knew he had left it on and that his brother had probably tracked his signal by now and was on the way. It gave him a little comfort knowing that if he didn't make it at least his brother would be able to finish the task he had started. He tried to stand but his knees gave way and he ended up collapsing unconscious to the floor on top of the necklace.

**The highway**

Dean finally saw the sign welcoming him to Morristown. The computer reading had only told him the town the signal was coming from but not the exact location. He stopped at the first motel he came to and checked out the names but couldn't find an alias that Sam would have used. He then wrote down the Elkin's address and drove out to their house. Their lights were on and he could see people walking around inside. He hoped Sam wasn't trapped inside and couldn't get out…. Or had he found the necklace and had taken it out to the cemetery to bury? Dean drove out to one of the cemeteries and at the same time kept trying to get Sam to pick up the phone.

"Come on Sammy pick up the phone!" He kept shouting into it. Dean knew Sam was in trouble, what kind of trouble he had no way of knowing. Was he in trouble from the pills he was taking, or from the necklace? Or both? He knew he had to find his brother quickly or it could be too late to help him.

As he drove by the second cemetery he noticed a motel a few blocks away. It would be the perfect place for Sam to get a room, close to the cemetery. He pulled into the parking lot and ran into the office. He pulled out a fake police ID and flashed it at the clerk.

"I need to see your registration book."

"Sure officer." The clerk spun the book around so Dean could see it.

Dean ran his finger down through the names and stopped at Jim Morrison. He gave a little smile. He had found his brother.

"I need a key to room seven." He knew Sam was more then likely unconscious and unable to open the door, that was if he was even in the room at all.

"Is there a problem officer?"

"Nothing for you to worry about sir."

The clerk handed Dean a key and he ran out of the office and over to room seven. He didn't bother knocking.

"Sam? Sammy?" He cautiously opened the door not sure what he would find. The first thing he saw were the bloody sheets on the bed.

"Sam!" Dean ran over to the bed. "Sammy!"

He looked around and finally spotted his brother's body wedged between the bed and the wall. He leaned over the bed then reached down and touched Sam's face. Dean swallowed the lump in his throat when felt the heat radiating off of Sam's body and saw the growing pool of blood around his brother's head.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter ten

With almost superhuman strength Dean picked up the side of the bed and tossed it aside so he could get to his brother.

"Sammy!" He knelt by Sam's side and gently pulled him into his arms. He couldn't believe how hot his brother's body felt. He put his hand up to Sam's forehead. "Damn it Sammy you're burning up."

It was then he saw the necklace and realized his brother hadn't gotten it to the cemetery and that Sam's fever was probably because of it. If he didn't get the necklace to sacred ground Sam's body would continue to heat up till it burst into flames just like what had happened to the other victims. He knew he had to get rid of it but he couldn't just leave Sam lying there as hot as he was.

He pulled Sam out to the middle of the floor and took his shirt off. Next he took off Sam's shoes then unzipped his pants and pulled them off but left his boxers on. Sam tried pushing Dean's hands away as he weakly protested not sure what was going on.

"No….no let me alone." He opened fever glazed eyes and tried to focus on the person kneeling next to him.

"Sorry Sam but I got to cool you down. You can bitch me out later."

"D-Dean?"

"Yeah buddy it's me." Dean said as he pulled his brother into the bathroom and put him in the tub. He put the plug in and turned the cold water on. "I'll be right back."

Dean ran outside to the ice machine and brought back four bags of ice which he ripped open and dumped into the water. He then took a cup and began pouring the cold water over Sam's face and chest.

"Come on Sam you got to stay with me." He said as he continued pouring the water over Sam's face. The water in the tub turned red as the cold water washed the blood from his brother's face.

The ice was helping to bring Sam's temperature down but not fast enough. Dean knew the only sure way to save Sam was to bury the necklace immediately or chance losing his brother to its curse. He knew it was dangerous but he had to leave Sam alone for a few minutes while he drove out to the cemetery, he had no choice. He turned off the water then drained some of it out.

"Sam I'll be right back….You just hang in there I won't be long."

Sam moaned slightly but didn't answer him.

Dean ran into the bedroom and picked up the necklace. He then ran outside and tossed it on to the passenger's seat as he sped toward the cemetery.

Once he reached the cemetery he headed on to the grounds and quickly dug a small six inch hole. He then tossed the necklace in and sprinkled it with Holy Water. Steam immediately began to pour from the hole as the necklace began to melt and slowly lose its shape. Soon there was nothing left but a glob of melted metal. Satisfied that the necklace was no longer a threat he filled in the hole then sped back to the motel.

He ran into the motel room and into the bathroom. As soon as he entered the bathroom he felt like the floor had dropped out beneath him. Even though he had drained some of the water out of the tub the heat from Sam's body had melted the ice cubes much faster then he had expected and once more had filled the tub with water. Sam sat slumped over, his head to the side, his face underwater.

"Noooooo!" Dean screamed as he pulled his brother out of the tub and put him on the floor. In trying to save his brother had he inadvertently killed him? Dean pushed Sam's long brown hair out of his way as he looked into his brother's face.

"Sam? Come on Sammy snap out of it…." Dean grabbed his brother by his shoulders and pulled him off the floor and started shaking him. "Don't you go dying on me Sam….Don't you do that…."

Sam's head snapped back and forth then lolled to the side when Dean stopped shaking him.

"Come on Sammy please…." Dean begged as tears filled his eyes.

He laid Sam flat on the floor then tilted his head back and placed his mouth over his brother's then gave him two strong breaths.

"Damn it Sam breathe!" He put his ear against Sam's mouth hoping to hear or feel Sam's breath coming back out but he didn't. He quickly gave him two more breaths. "I'm so going to kick your ass for making me do this." He said as he once more listened for Sam's breathing. He placed two fingers against the side of his brother's neck and could barely make out a shallow heart beat. At least his heart was beating but Dean knew it could stop at any moment unless he started breathing.

"Damn it Sammy breathe!" Dean shouted into his brother's face.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for the reviews.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter eleven

"Come on Sammy breathe!" Dean wiped angrily at his tears. He had held his brother once before while he died and he wasn't about to do that again. The memory of that day came flashing back…the joy when he first found his brother, the horror when he saw Jake stab him in the back and the grief when Sam died in his arms. No, he wasn't going to let that happen again. He gave his brother two more breaths.

"Damn it Sam breathe!" He screamed into his brother's face.

Suddenly Sam began to cough as air rushed back into his lungs.

"Oh thank God….thank God…" Dean said as he sat back. Sam's eyes suddenly flew open and he began to panic not knowing what was happening. "Take it easy Sam. Everything's okay." Dean reassured him as he squeezed his shoulder.

"D-Dean…..what happened?" He asked after the coughing had stopped and he had regained his breath.

"You almost bought it Sam but you're fine now."

"The necklace….We got to get rid of the necklace!" Sam tried to sit up but Dean held him down.

"Just take it easy for awhile…I took care of the necklace. It's not going to hurt anyone anymore."

"Oh good….oh good…" Sam relaxed a little but then noticed he was half naked. He quickly sat back up, his face turning red with embarrassment. "What the hell's going on?" He asked as he reached for a towel and quickly wrapped it around himself. "Where are my clothes?" He glanced up at his brother wondering why he was lying half naked in front of Dean.

"Don't flatter yourself…you're not my type." Dean smiled as he got up and walked into the bedroom and retrieved Sam's clothes. He then walked back into the bathroom and handed them to Sam.

"What the hell happened Dean?" Sam asked as he pulled his clothes on over his wet body.

"You almost drowned."

"Drowned?"

"Yeah drowned."

"How?...Why?" Sam asked still confused.

"The necklace….You were burning up with fever and must have passed out. You're damn lucky I found you or you might be a pile of ashes right now….I stuck you in the tub filled with ice cubes to bring your temperature down."

"What did you do with the necklace?"

"It's taken care of, I buried it …But when I came back you were under the water. …. Sam if you ever take off like that again and turn off your phone I'm so kicking your ass."

"I had to…if I didn't I knew you'd track me."

"Did you listen to my messages?"

"No, I had the phone off most of the day."

"Sam, you're not dying."

"What?" Sam looked at his brother not sure if he heard him right.

"You're not dying. There was a mixup at the lab. You don't have a brain tumor."

"What about my headaches?"

"The doctor said you have a blood clot on your brain, probably happened from the last hunt we were on. You took some pretty hard hits to your head….but he said it's not fatal and he can take care of it….I just got to get you back to the hospital."

It seemed to Dean that Sam almost looked disappointed.

"Hey what's up…. You should be jumping for joy….You're not going to die Sam." Dean repeated it thinking Sam might not have heard him.

"But you still are." Sam said sadly looking at his big brother.

"Yeah….But you got your whole life ahead of you."

"How am I suppose to live it knowing you're not around….that you died…..for me." Sam looked at his brother with tear filled eyes. "Why did you make that deal Dean? Why did you have to go and do that?"

"Sam I'd do it again if I had to."

"Well you shouldn't have." Sam shouted at Dean. "I was dead Dean….you should have just left me dead. You should have just got on with your life."

"How? How was I suppose to do that Sam, you tell me."

"You should have stopped hunting. You should have found yourself a girl and settled down."

"It's not that easy Sam…hunting is all I know."

"Well you could have tried." Sam looked away not wanting Dean to see the tears in his eyes. How was he suppose to go on once his brother was gone?

"I couldn't do it Sam. Not with my whole family gone….I just couldn't do it."

"So now I have to?"

"Sam you're stronger then I am. You can do it, you did it before. You started a new life and you can do it again."

"What if I don't want to?"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Everyone in my life is gone, or soon will be…. maybe I should be too….Maybe you should have just left me in that tub." Sam started walking away but Dean grabbed his shoulder and angrily spun him around.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for the reviews.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter twelve

"The deal's done Sam, it's over with, there's nothing we can do about it. And I'm not about to let you give up on life because of it." Dean was angry, but when he saw the pain in his brother's eyes he lowered his voice. "Sam if you give up on living then my death will be for nothing."

"You told me you couldn't live with me being dead….so how the hell am I suppose to live with you being dead?….. Dean….you're all I have left." Sam's voice cracked with emotion as he pulled away from his brother. He managed to take a few steps before falling his knees.

"Oh God!" He cried out in pain as his hands flew up to his temples.

"Sammy!" Dean dropped to the floor next to his brother. "Take it easy Sammy, take it easy….." He remembered the doctor's warning that he had to keep Sam calm. "Just take a couple of deep breaths…." He coached his brother. "Sam when did you last take the pills?"

"I'm not sure…a couple of hours ago I think……Oh God Dean…Oh God it hurts!" Sam looked at his brother and Dean could see the pain and fear in his eyes.

"I know it hurts Sam but you got to try and stay calm." Dean put Sam's arm over his shoulder and slowly stood up. "Just lean on me Sam…." He slowly started walking toward the door. "I got to get you to the hospital Sam….Just relax…just take it easy…"

He finally got Sam out to the car and into the passenger's seat. Dean then climbed in the driver's seat and sped toward the hospital.

"Dean…."

"It's gonna be alright Sam….it's gonna be alright…." Dean kept repeating, more to reassure himself then to reassure his brother.

"Dean….I'm sorry….I don't want the last thing I might do …is to be arguing with you." The pain was unbearable and Sam wished he could just die and get it over with.

"You're going to be fine Sam. The doc's going to patch you up and you'll be as good as new."

"But….but if they can't ….I just want you to know…I …I…." Sam suddenly gasped in pain and slumped down in his seat his head falling onto his brother's shoulder.

Dean put his arm around him and held him close to him.

"Sammy you hang in there….you hang tough. You hear me Sammy….you got to hang in there….I'm not losing you…not again…." He kept repeating over and over as he sped toward the hospital.

**The hospital**

Dean pulled into the emergency entrance and ran inside.

"Where's Dr. Mallery? I need Dr. Mallery!" He shouted to the emergency room nurse.

"We'll page him. What's the matter?" She asked as she paged the doctor.

"My brother…he's in the car…" Dean didn't even wait for help; he grabbed a litter and pushed it back to the car as the nurse followed him. "He has a blood clot on his brain and it needs to be removed."

Dean opened the door and Sam's body began to fall out. He quickly grabbed him before he hit the ground and pulled him up onto the litter then pushed it back into the ER just as the doctor came off the elevator.

"What happened?" He asked Dean as he hurried over to Sam.

"He got a really bad headache and then he passed out. I can't wake him up." Dean watched as the doctor examined his brother. "He'll be okay won't he?"

"When was the last time he took the pills?" The doctor asked as he opened Sam's eyes and shined a small penlight into them.

"I don't know…he thought a couple of hours ago…he wasn't sure."

"We got to get him up to the OR stat." He said to another doctor.

"He's gonna be okay isn't he?" Dean asked when he saw the worried look on the doctor's face.

"Sorry….I don't want to give you any false hope. The blood clot might have moved and if that happened….." The doctor shook his head sadly.

Dean felt like he had been struck by a truck. Was Sam going to die?

"You gotta save him doc….he's all I have." Dean said softly, his eyes welling up with tears.

"We'll do our best."

A horrible loneliness came over Dean as he watched them push Sam's body into the elevator and up to the OR.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter thirteen

Dean stood staring at the elevator's door long after it had closed. After the doctor told him Sam didn't have a brain tumor he thought he'd be able to relax a little and that his brother would be safe but once more Sam's life was hanging by a thread. Why was his family cursed he wondered? What had they done to deserve all the bad things that happened to them? His mom was dead, his dad was dead, he'd be dead soon, and now his baby brother whose soul he gave his for might die. He walked over to the visitor's elevator and pressed the button for the OR's waiting room. His head was pounding and he couldn't think straight anymore, but he knew one thing….if Sam didn't make it he wasn't going to wait for the crossroads demon to come for him. If Sam died he'd die too. With his brother gone there would be no reason for him to go on.

**Three hours later**

Dean had spent the last three hours standing at the window in the waiting room staring outside lost in thought. He never heard the doctor enter the room.

"Mr. Walters…."

Dean spun around and walked over to the doctor.

"How's my brother?"

"The good news is he made it through the operation….It was touch and go for awhile and at one point we almost lost him. The blood clot had shifted and almost broke loose during the operation….If that had happened … we might have lost him."

"Then he'll be okay?"

"We won't know till he's fully awake. We're hoping he'll be fine but…"

"But what?" Not another 'but' Dean thought.

"With any brain operation there could be complications."

"Like what?"

"Brain damage, paralysis…there are any number of complications. We just have to wait and see."

Dean shook his head as he ran his hand through his hair in worry and frustration. When was the bad news ever going to end?

"Can I see him?"

"As soon as he's out of recovery and he's moved to a room I'll have some one come get you."

"Thanks."

The doctor started to leave then turned around.

"I'm sorry about the mixup in the lab. The technician will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. You can file a suit against him and the hospital if you want to."

Dean shook his head.

"I don't want to sue anyone….I just want my brother back."

The doctor put his hand on Dean's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I have faith your brother will make a full recovery."

"I wish I did." Dean said softly after the doctor left the room.

**Four hours later**

Sam was finally out of recovery and moved to a room. Dean quietly entered the room and stood by his bedside. His face was etched with sorrow as he looked down at his unconscious brother. Sam looked like a sleeping ten year old kid, his face pale against his long dark hair which hung over his gauzed wrapped head. Dean smiled, Sam would be glad they didn't have to shave his head except for a small patch on the side where they had operated.

Dean wiped at the tears that filled his eyes with the back of his hand. His mind kept flashing back to the last time he saw his brother lying so still, but then he had been dead and not just unconscious. He remembered the horrible pain he felt when he had lost Sam. Even his dad's death didn't devastate him that much. Holding his brother as he died had ripped his heart out. He had never felt that much pain before and never wanted to go through it again. So he had made the deal to bring Sam back, hoping his brother would live a long happy life. But it had hurt Sam deeply when he found out what he had done. He had put Sam in the same position he was in when his dad had died for him. Dean could see the pain in his brother's eyes every time the deal came up in their conversation. Yeah, he was going to die so Sam could live…..but he had caused Sam so much pain because of it. Sam was right he was selfish. He couldn't live without Sam and now he expected Sam to live without him. He reached out his hand and gently touched his brother's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Sammy. I just….I just couldn't make it without you." His voice cracked with emotion. He was totally exhausted as he sat in a chair next to his brother's bed. "You just rest now till you're feeling better. I'll be here when you wake up."

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks for the reviews. I might be going on vacation till next Thursday ( or maybe not if we get the ice storm that's predicted ) …if I do go, I'll post the final chapter when I get back. Sorry to leave you with a little cliffie….. Nah, not really. ;-)

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter fourteen

**Later**

Dean didn't know how long he had been sitting there when he noticed that his brother had finally woken up.

"Sammy!" He jumped out of his chair and stood by his brother's bedside. "Damn it's good to see you awake." He then noticed the strange look on Sam's face. "What's wrong? What's the matter Sam?"

"Dean…I…I…"

"Sam what is it?"

"I…I can't see! Dean I can't see!...I can't see anything!" Sam started blindly reaching out for his brother who quickly grabbed his arms and held them tight.

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat; he remembered the doctor had warned him that there might be complications.

"Sam I'm sure it's only temporary. They had to operate on your brain and the swelling is probably putting pressure on your optic nerve. Once it goes down you should be fine." Dean prayed that was true, he didn't want to believe his brother was going to be permanently blind. But what scared him even more was the sheer terror that now showed on his brother's face. "Sammy?"

"Oh God Dean I can't move my legs either! … Dean I'm scared! I can't see and I can't move my legs! Oh God Dean do something!...You gotta do something!" Sam began to panic as he realized he wasn't only blind, but was paralyzed also.

By now tears were running down both brothers' eyes.

"Sam….I'll talk to the doctor…He'll be able to do something, you'll see. He'll be able to fix you up good as new… I promise."

"Don't lie to me Dean!"

"Sam…."

"When I died Dean you should have left me dead! You never should have brought me back! I can't live like this Dean…I should be dead!"

"I'm sorry Sammy….I'm so sorry…." Tears ran down Dean's face as he was overwhelmed with guilt. "I couldn't live without you Sam…I just couldn't do it."

"Damn it Dean you should have left me die!"

Dean leaned down and pulled his brother into his arms and held him close. He no longer cared about trying to hide his emotions.

"It'll be okay Sammy you'll see….It'll be okay…" He tried to reassure his brother as he put his cheek against the top of Sam's head…. He never felt his brother take his gun out of his shoulder harness.

When Sam pulled back he had the gun pointed at his head.

"Sammy! What the hell are you doing?"

"I should be dead Dean!….You never should have made that deal! I should be dead!" Tears filled Sam's eyes. "Dean I can't live like this!...I'm sorry…."

"Sam no!"

Dean reached for the gun but he was too late. He watched in horror as Sam pulled the trigger. He was immediately covered in blood and brain matter as Sam's limp lifeless body fell back to the bed.

"Noooooooo!" Dean screamed as he watched the life fade from his brother's eyes and quickly turn dull with death. "Sammy!" Dean reached down and pulled his baby brother into his arms. His heart broke as he once more held Sam close to him as he died.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Well this is the final chapter. Thanks for the reviews, I appreciated each of them. Hope you're not too disappointed with the ending.

**Living Day to Day**

Chapter fifteen

"Oh God Sammy why? Why did you do it?" Dean asked as tears ran freely down his face. If his brother was dead he wanted to be too. He reached for the gun on the bed but stopped when he thought he heard someone calling his name.

"Dean? Dean wake up."

"Sammy?" Dean's eyes flew open at the sound of his brother's voice and he looked up into his brother's tired face.

"You okay?" Sam asked. "You were dreaming…it must have been pretty bad."

"Yeah…yeah it was." Dean took a deep breath as relief washed over him, it was just a dream and his brother was alive. "But it's okay now." Dean turned his head and quickly wiped away the tears not wanting Sam to see them. "How ya feeling Sammy?" He asked as he stood up.

"Like I got hit in the head with a baseball bat." Sam gave his brother a little smile.

"Yeah I bet."

"What happened? The last thing I remember was being at the motel."

Dean explained what had happened since Sam had collapsed at the motel.

Sam winced in pain as he reached up and gingerly touched the side of his head; he started to panic when he felt the gauze.

"They didn't?" His eyes were wide, he was sure they had shaved his head.

"No they didn't." Dean smiled. "You're lucky; they only took a little off the side." Then Dean asked the question he had been dreading. "How do you feel Sam? Can you move?" What if his dream came true? Sam could obviously see but what if his brother _was_ paralyzed?"

Sam slowly moved his arms and legs then looked up at Dean and smiled.

"Yeah….everything seems to be working….Why wouldn't it be?"

"I had this dream….well more like a nightmare really…where things went wrong…."

"Wrong? What do you mean wrong?"

"Oh it was nothing…just a dumb dream." Dean didn't want to relive the horror of the dream by telling his brother about it. As far as he could tell Sam was fine and that was all that mattered.

"Oh…okay." Sam could tell the dream must have really bothered his brother and saw no reason to ask him about it. "Well the doc said I should be fine and in a few days I'll be out of here."

"When did you talk to the doctor?"

"He came in and examined me while you were taking your beauty nap and I didn't see any reason to wake you up. He was just here a few minutes ago. In fact I was just going to go back to sleep when I heard you yelling in your sleep." Sam once more reached up and touched his head. "I didn't realize my head was all wrapped up though. Guess I was still a little out of it when he was talking to me." He gave Dean a worried smile. "You're sure they didn't shave my head?" He asked not knowing if he could really believe his brother or not.

"No Sam you still have that mop on your head, except for maybe an inch or so on the side where they had to shave it."

Dean took Sam's hand and let him feel the back of his head then the top. Sam smiled when he felt his long brown hair sticking out from under the gauze.

"Oh thank God." Sam said smiling. He then turned serious as he looked at his brother. "Dean….I…" Sam hesitated; he wasn't quite sure how he wanted to put this. He knew his brother hated emotional moments and he didn't want to upset him.

"What?"

Sam figured he might as well just come out and say it.

"Back at the motel…when I told you I wish you had just let me die….I….well I didn't really mean it….I want to live….and I want you to live…." Sam blinked back tears. "I want to live so I can find someway to get you out of your deal. And I'm going to Dean….I'm not giving up till I do…I promise you that."

"Sure Sam." Dean started to turn away.

"I mean it Dean. You said you couldn't live without me….well I can't live without you. In fact I'd rather die with you then live without you. So either we go down together or we walk away from this together, but what ever happens we do it together." Sam held out his hand. "Deal?" He looked at Dean as he fought to keep his eyes open. He was exhausted and now that he knew everything was alright he just wanting to go back to sleep, but first he wanted to make sure he had his brother's promise.

Dean hesitated for only a second.

"Deal." He shook Sam's hand. "But right now just try to forget about it for awhile and get some rest…you look beat. I'll be here when you wake up."

Sam gave a little nod as he closed his eyes and within minutes drifted off to sleep.

Dean stood next to his brother once more standing guard over him as he had done all his life. He knew if he tried to weasel his way out of the deal Sam would drop dead and he wasn't about to let that happen. But he knew Sam needed to rest and he wasn't about to argue with him. He'd let his brother think that he could save him until the last possible moment when it would be obvious that he couldn't. He hated giving Sam false hope but it was all he could give him, he could at least do that much for him. He looked down at his brother and a single tear ran down his cheek. He knew it was going to hurt Sam when he died but he also knew he would make the deal all over again if he had to. He couldn't let his brother die. Sure Sam would be hurt, but his brother was stronger then he was. He'd eventually get over it and get on with his life, or at least he hoped he would. As he reached over to pull Sam's cover up to his shoulders….it suddenly hit him….. Who would watch out for his brother when he died? He swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched Sam sleep. Who would protect his brother once he was gone? … He'd call Bobby…yeah that's what he'd do. Bobby could watch out for Sam. He was like a father to them already and he knew he'd keep an eye on Sam for him. As he looked down at his brother he wanted to tell him how much he cared about him, how much he loved him, but he knew he wouldn't be able to say it….he was never good at expressing his emotions…too girly. So for now he would just take care of Sam until his time came and pray that his brother would be okay without him.

"Sleep well Sam." He said softly as he sat down once more guarding his brother from harm as he had done a thousand times before.

The End


End file.
